Legacy and history of Last Frontiers Trekking
A story - A legacy - A passion
Landmark of history written from being involved in the 1953 Everest Expedition to the 1990 Everest Peace Climb and being the Top Guide Award from REI Adventures.
Legacy is about life and living. It's about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future.
Nepal - India - Bhutan - Tibet - Himalayas
Similarly, the seed of Last Frontiers was sown when one person decided to take a chance and explore areas of the world that were previously not explored. The story of Last Frontiers starts with Mr. Pasang Phutar Sherpa, the person who sowed the seeds of what today would be known as one of the fondest appreciated travel companies in Nepal.
Last Frontiers historical Dates
Passion is when you put more energy into something than is required to do it. It is more than just enthusiasm or excitement, passion is ambition that is materialized into action to put as much heart, mind, body and soul into something as is possible. – Urban Dictionary This is why Last Frontiers has been able to thrive until now.
Our Story (1952-1963)
The story of Last Frontiers starts with Mr. Pasang Phutar Sherpa in 1953, as the person who sowed the seeds of what would be known today as one of the best travel companies in Nepal. Pasang, born in the village of Namche Bazaar, in Solukhumbu district, wasn’t the founder of this company, but his enthusiasm in exploration, adventure and traveling helped him plant the seed of which his successors would create. Pasang was able to take part in many of the expeditions to the top ten mountains of the world.
He started his exploration with the tallest mountain of them all, Mount Everest, in the expedition of 1952. The first Swiss Everest Expeditions for Alpine Research expedition’s primary aim was to find a way to summit Everest from the southern route. This was where his journey began. Then he later joined the team of the 1953 British Expeditions with Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.
1952
Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, The aim of the research was to find a way to summit Everest from the southern route | Pasang Phutar as Sherpa
1953
Pasang Phutar Sherpa during this Everest Expedition that was successfully climbed by Tenzing Norgay and E. Hillary, made 2 trips to South Col carrying supplies.
1956
The Swiss Expedition to Everest and Lhotse II | Pasang, Darj, was sardar; but Pasang II, Khu, was also involved
1958
Leader: Leonpo Gang | High Altitude worker for the Artist’s Apline Club
1959
Langtang Himal Expedition | Pasang Phutar II as Lasion Officer, and Pasang Phutar I | Leader: T. Yamada |
1960
Jugal Himal | Hisayuki Ito | Aim was to climb the highest peak of the Jugal Himal Range standing at 23,240 ft | Pasang I, Sirdar, made it to Camp IV with Ishihara and Kato 22,310 ft.
1961
Royal Warwickshire Regiment | Area: Mingbo area, south of Ama Dablam | Pasang Phutar as Sardar.
The Birth of a Company (1984-2003)
Mr. Pasang Phutar Sherpa was surely an adventurous person. However, there was only so much exploring he could do in a lifetime. But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. As the saying goes, Pasang’s son, Mingma Dorji Sherpa, was heavily influenced by his father’s interest and enthusiasm in adventure and exploration. Seeing his father set out for expeditions to places that were rarely explored, influenced Mingma to become an explorer himself. In 1984 Last Frontiers was born.
Ever since 1984, Mingma Dorji Sherpa has seen ups and downs in the industry, challenges and changes, which taught him to be resilient and innovative. In the last 35 years, he has established a boutique lodge named Chhahari Retreat. He is also the founder of Lekali Coffee Estate, which is Nepal’s first 90 point scorer of Coffee in blind assessment.
During Mingma’s time in the travel industry, he believes strongly in helping the community, and when Nepal was hit by the earthquake in 2015, it was the right time. With the assistance of 30 years partner REI Adventures, Mingma assisted in helping REI Building Community Relief Center.
1984
Last Frontiers Born | Mingma Dorji Sherpa as Founder
1990
Handled Ground Logistic for the Everest Peace Climb in 1990.
The Legacy Carries On (2003-2021)
Nima Tashi Sherpa leads Last Frontiers Trekking as the third generation in the family. In his more than 15 years of experience, he fully appreciates why multi-generational family-owned and operated businesses matter. In 2020, we crossed 35 years of operation as a business. Being the 3rd Generation Sherpa in the adventure travel industry, he definitely brings strong values for nurturing the business and being committed to everyone that is involved with it.
As a family-owned and operated business, we have always reinvested our resources to make sure that our people and our business is always stable. We maintain a long-term outlook by fostering long-term relationships with our partners and our clients.
2012
Awarded REI Best Guide
1990
Last Frontiers Born | Mingma Dorji Sherpa as Founder